Astrology: Elements, Quadruplicities, and Polarities

The Elements

The twelve zodiacal signs are divided into four sectors matching the four elements: Fire, Earth, Air, and Water. An element includes three compatible signs (triplicity), each element being mutually complementary.

Fire: Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius

Fire signs catch fire very quickly. They are enthusiastic, forthright, spontaneous, naive, and primary. This element provides the native with energy, ardour, and passion, but it may incline to violence, aggressiveness, lack of tact, and anger. Therefore, Fire may be dangerous, uncontrollable, and impulsive since it is difficult to master. It symbolises immoderate ambition, courage, the will to fight, dominate and conquer, but it also favours spiritual elevation, extreme lucidity, and it purifies the soul.

Earth: Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn

People with emphasised earth signs have a practical and realistic mind and are down to earth. The earth element provides solidity, stability, persistence and a concrete nature. People ruled by this element know how to bring their undertakings to a successful conclusion and never shirk from anything. They are rather calm, slow, and cold, but they are resilient, with an iron will. Earth is also synonymous with sensuality, earthly pleasures, and both material and sentimental security. However, the natives are also capable of incredible temper tantrums and outbursts of fury if their anger has been repressed for too long.

Air: Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius

It is the element of communication and exchanges. It makes its natives talkative, distracted, light, swift, curious, and brimming with ideas. However, air is not palpable. Therefore, ideas may never be implemented, and the natives may be scattered, always going from right to left, and vice-versa. They are interested in many things at the same time but cannot focus on any specific one, and as a result, they never finish off anything they have started. Air favours the intellect, logics, and the mind rather than sensitivity or emotions. People ruled by this element are often very superficial, but they are quick and shrewd.

Water: Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces

This element rules the world of emotions, the unconscious, sensitivity, and feelings. The natives ruled by the water element are secretive, intuitive and emotive persons who feel what is unnoticed by other people. However, they lack realism and find it difficult to adjust to the tough and materialistic world. Water makes the native fruitful, imaginative, dreamy, selfless, with an artistic bent, but also lazy, irresolute, vulnerable, and hypersensitive. People ruled by the water element display a lot of kindness, empathy, and generosity, but when they are hurt or feel that they are in danger, they become sly, unpredictable, and disorderly.

The Quadruplicities

Signs are also divided into three sectors comprising four signs each. They are the Cardinal, Fixed, and Mutable sectors. Quadruplicities are also referred to as mode: the Cardinal mode, the Fixed mode, and the Mutable mode. Like elements, they rule different values and have characteristics of their own.

The Cardinal Signs: Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn

They are creative and enterprising signs, some sort of engines. Their peculiarity is to be selfish, to pay excessive attention to themselves, and to always want to be at the top of the list. However, this means of assertion may vary significantly from one sign to another.

Aries asserts himself through his physical strength and great energy. He does not hesitate to "blindly charge headlong".

Cancer progresses by discreetly moving sideways, and pounces on what she wants when she is certain that the way is clear. In case of failure, she uses emotions in order to soften up his entourage.

Libra uses charm to coax other people. Thanks to his magnetism and his apparent gentleness, he always manages to be forgiven.

Capricorn behaves cautiously and discreetly. She is slow, but endowed with great ambition. As a result, she obtains whatever she wants without anyone suspecting anything, and exploits this advantage in order to exert power on other people.

The Fixed Signs: Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius

People with prominent fixed signs usually enjoy routine. They are stubborn, inflexible and find it difficult to adjust to new situations. Nevertheless, they demonstrate tenacity and moral strength, and they always complete their projects although it takes them some time to get started.

Taurus is materially fixed. She needs to own and to have materiel comfort. She does not easily let go and focuses on a single matter.

Leo is fixed in his ardour, his enthusiasm, and his authority. He is endowed with great energy, both physical and moral, and thus, he easily brings his projects to a successful conclusion.

Scorpio never wavers in her emotions. She is a deep and thoroughgoing person. She either loves or hates, and her feelings are never in between. She knows perfectly well how to control her emotions, which makes her appear as reserved, cold, or cruel.

Aquarius is constant in his opinions. He may be intellectually intolerant. He always appears a bit paradoxical in the sense that he is an original person, but he finds it hard to change his mind in a smooth way.

The Mutables Signs: Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces

They are volatile, changing, quick, and they lack depth. Nevertheless, they adjust well to all situations. They are complex, with a dual nature that is mistaken for instability. They are very flexible and tolerant.

Gemini is unstable and swift in intellectual areas. He does not linger for too long on a subject and shifts from one topic to another. He is superficial, talkative, and a real weathervane.

Virgo changes her mind. In practical areas, she is a perfectionist who looks for new means to continuously improve herself.

Sagittarius is enthusiastic in all his activities and can practice many at the same time. He craves discoveries and new adventures.

Pisces constantly changes in her emotions. She can rapidly shift from deep ecstasy to the most severe depression, and it is difficult to follow her because her inner life is complex and rich. She forgets and forgives easily.

The Polarities

Lastly, polarities divide the Zodiac into two groups of six signs. Polarities are referred to as Masculine and Feminine, or Active and Passive. These characteristics alternate from one sign to the next in zodiacal order.

Indeed, Aries is Active, Taurus is Passive, Gemini is Active, and so on. Active signs indicate extroverted, expansive, and fairly physical people who express themselves easily and are quite energetic and enthusiastic. Passive signs are more introverted, internalised, intellectual, deep, and calm.